


seven dollars for a dozen, fifty cents for one

by chezor



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, Anxious Katsuki Yuuri, Character's Name Spelled as Viktor, Comedy, DAM I GUESS I GOTTA ADD A TAG BC I PUT IT IN THERE, Florist Katsuki Yuuri, Friends to Lovers, Gen, Language of Flowers, Love at First Sight, M/M, Magic, Mutual Pining, Nonbinary Character, Pansexual Victor Nikiforov, Pining, Super Cool Flower Fairy Magic Or Something, Switching Perspective, bc im too lazy to research other locations whoops, even chapters are yuuri, ill add more tags as more are needed, its barely relevant tho, odd chapters are viktor, set in new york in america, sorta - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-17
Updated: 2017-04-22
Packaged: 2018-10-06 19:41:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,521
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10343217
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chezor/pseuds/chezor
Summary: “Uhm, My name is Viktor. Or you can call me Vitya, if you want. It’s more of a casual name, like, for friends. But I guess since we’re not exactly friends I-”Why would Viktor suggest to be called such a friendly title, especially when the aura is so awkward and not at all friendly? He doesn’t know, maybe it was part of the plan but all of that went out the window the moment he approached the stand. Every part of Viktor was sweating, or at least it seemed like it, which is why he was surprised, and absolutely relieved when Yuuri took his hand and responded, with just as much awkward timidness. “My name is Yuuri. Which, you probably already knew, from my button. It’s uhm, nice to see you again, Vitya.”orthe flowershop au where Viktor fell in love at first sight and doesn't understand the concept of asking questions





	1. staring

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> viktor stares. it's what he does.

Viktor has, like usual, had a very busy, stressful day. However, today was even more so. 

Like usual, at the Lush store he managed, someone bit into a bar of soap that was on display. 

Unlike usual, this someone had an allergic reaction. And unlike usual, the customer had started to get hives in their mouth. Unlike usual, the customer had to go to the hospital. And unlike usual, Viktor had to convince them not to sue the store. For a few hours. While they had hives in their mouth. And were yelling.

So yes. Very busy, and very stressful. 

But that was behind him now. Now it was Saturday, and he had Sundays off. Now Viktor was at home. His comfortable, stress-free home, that had candles, soft blankets, television, and a lovely dog whose barks were worthy to greet a queen.

Home was good. Many say that’s where the heart is, and especially on days like this, Viktor believes that to be true. He turned on the news for background noise as he walked around the apartment, lighting candles and gathering blankets and snacks to build a nest.

Viktor took out his phone and started scrolling through, ignoring the news on the TV with his hand absentmindedly petting his dog. On instagram he could see everyone post snapchats of their local scenery with the temperature plastered on. The new summery weather had half his friends excited, and half in emotional distress, for the sweltering New York summer heat did not go well with everyone.

He doesn’t know why, but Viktor looked up at his television screen. Maybe because the weather report flashed on, or maybe it was because of a fly that passed his peripheral vision. Or maybe, it was magic. It felt like magic because, right when he was about to look down at his phone, a face walked behind the reporter.

The reporter was talking about the farmers market that would be opening for the summer in a week, and then Viktor saw them. They looked so _familiar_ as they passed by. Where had Viktor seen them before? They walked off-screen, Viktor just had to figure out _why_ the person looked like someone he had known and _who_ they were. He fumbled around in his nest for the remote and rewinded the program.

“-farmer’s market opened for the season last Saturday, continuing the tradition- ” Viktor paused a second too late, and the face was blurred with movement.

“-farmer’s market opened for the season last Saturday, continuing the tra-” A split second too soon.

-farmer’s market opened for the season last Saturday, continuing the t-“” Another second too soon, because he got excited.

“-farmer’s market opened for the season last Saturday, continuing the traditi-” He paused again. There, a perfect view. Viktor could tell from watching the tape five times that the person had put some flowers on a market stand, and walked off. This still image of them turning away showed soft features. They had silky black hair that was just long enough to fit into a ponytail, but would still fall into their glasses. They had a look on their face that was half a smile and _God_ , Viktor thought, were they cute.

Now he had to figure out why they looked so familiar. He studied the screen. Closer, closer. It’s on the tip of his tongue. He knows who this is, he does, he just needs to know where from.

He thinks, and thinks, and thinks. Now that he has the image of the person in his head he re-watches the video. They put down the flowers, they walk off. They put down the flowers, they walk off. They put down the flowers…

_The flowers._

Viktor audibly gasps when he thinks he realized who it was. God, how could he have forgotten? Could it really be them? Is it?

_“Pride boy?”_

 

***

 

After seeing the boy on the screen, and remembering who they were, Viktor immediately called Chris. “Chris!”

_“Aye, Vitya! What’s going on!”_

“Are you watching the news!?” He was nearly yelling, consumed with excitement.

_“What? Why what’s happening?”_ Chris gasped, _“Oh my god was there an accident? Who died? Viktor what’s going on!? OH MY GO-”_

Viktor took the phone off his ear to break away from the screaming Chris. “Chris no, no one’s dead. Calm down.”

_“Oh.” He paused._ “Then why should I be watching the news?”

Viktor started yelling again. “They’re talking about the farmer’s market!”

_“The farmer’s market? Why is that important, wha-.. Viktor Nikiforov are you high?” ___

“No! Not high! Just very excited because the boy I met at Pride last year works at the farmer’s market during the summer and I just recognized him on the news and he’s still very pretty and cute and I want to see him again but it’s been a year and I don’t know what to do!!” Viktor wailed, a little too fast.

_“Woah woah, slow down. Who’s this boy you met last year?”_

Viktor took a deep breath to calm down. “Right. Remember when you left me alone at Pride last year? When you left with Matteo?”

Chris replied, _“Oh yeah I do! Wait, is this about the guy you kept posting on your snap story? The drunk dancer?”_

Viktor almost squealed, “Yes! Him! I just saw him on the news! He works at the flower shop at the farmer’s market!”

_“Really? And you saw this on the news? I’ll put it on, when was he interviewed?”_ Chris asked.

Viktor stopped. “Well uh, he wasn’t exactly interviewed,” he cringed at himself. “But you can see him at…” he hit a random button on the remote to see the point where he was paused. “10:22, channel Nine.”

_“Okay,”_ Viktor heard Chris click his TV on and search through the channels. _“Vitya, there’s only the reporter here.”_ Viktor groaned, embarrassed, and brought a hand to his face in shame.

“Look in the background…”

_“Wha- all I see is a little bit of the street where the stands are…...and some people walking by, but they’re all out of focus.”_ Viktor whined. _“Vik, is it one of the people? You recognized this guy even though he’s out of focus? And you last saw him a year ago?”_

Viktor sighed, “Yes…. he’s the one picking up the flower basket..”

Chris laughed, _“Vitya, I can barely see him!”_

“Yes but, I know it’s them okay? I focused on him and everything. Plus like, he looked so familiar, like I knew him before. And as it turns out, I do know him! And now i want to see him because he’s so fun and cute and aaah~”

Chris was silent for a moment, and then he spoke, _“Viktor Nikiforov, you are so fucking gay.”_

“You bet your ass I am. Now what do I do!? I wanna see him!”

_“Well, you could go to the farmer’s market, where he should be right now, since he works there.”_

Viktor almost screamed again, “Chris you are a genius! I’ll go right now!”

_“Have a good time, sweetheart! And try not to stare-”_

“Gotta go, love you bye!!!!” Viktor hung up the phone, and ran out the door, almost forgetting to put on his shoes.

 

***

 

Viktor arrived at the flower stand, and Pride Boy was there, sitting quietly with who he assumed to be another worker. As they sat, Viktor couldn’t help but stare. His memory was jogging, and fast, at the sight of the boy who was sitting there, in real life, and not on a screen. He couldn’t clearly remember the night, but he knew the face. The face that was up close, nuzzled in Viktor’s chest a year ago, was now looking over at someone else, expressionless, and soft. 

Pride Boy turned, and they made eye contact. It only lasted for a split second, but it was eye contact nonetheless, and that was a start. Knowing that it might take a while for Pride Boy to recognize him, Viktor kept looking, sauntering around the stand. 

Occasionally, their eyes would meet again, but Pride Boy always looked away. However, Viktor remained smiling, as he knew that whenever he was looking down or away, Pride Boy was staring right back at him.

And that’s what they did, they stared. Viktor smiled the whole time, walking around the stand, and Pride Boy bashfully looking away, sitting with no clear expression. Every time they made eye contact, Viktor felt a little bit of…..sparkle. Nothing too out of the ordinary, just another glimmer in the world, like a glare in glass, or the twinkling of stars.

This, silent rhythm of glances went on for what felt like hours, but was probably closer to a couple minutes, while the other worker tended to other things. And, suddenly, almost magically, they looked up at the same time, and stayed that way. Looking into Pride Boy’s eyes from that short distance, Viktor could have sworn that the world around him became brighter in his peripheral vision, the sunset more vivid, and the flowers more colorful. 

Gears turned in Viktor’s head as he thought of something to say. It took roughly five seconds for Viktor’s brain to land on _“Hi, my name is Viktor, or you can call me Vitya. I do believe we have met, care to join me for dinner?”_. Right when he was about to open his mouth, he was interrupted by the other worker. “Excuse me,” they said, startling Viktor and breaking the gentle stare, “But we have to pack up the stand. Are you going to purchase something? I can ring you up real quick.”

Viktor looked back at Pride Boy, who was now looking back at the ground. It was clear to him that he was intruding, that maybe the boy he so desperately wanted to see again, didn’t want to see him. His face fell. He knew he had to leave, but going without a purchase would be weird. Chris had always told him that he sometimes came off as weird when he first met someone, or rather, met someone for the second time almost a year later. “Yeah, uhm-” He picked up a random flower basket. “How much for these?”

“Carnations are seven dollars for a dozen, fifty cents for one.”

In his rush, Viktor had left his wallet at home, so he had to rely on the change that he prayed would be in his pockets. He shoved his hands into the compartments of his sweats and wriggled his fingers as he walked to the cash register. Thankfully, Viktor was lucky enough to pull out two quarters and a nickel, just enough to buy one and have a penny left.

After thanking the worker, whose name tag read _Phichit_ , Viktor gave one last glance at Pride Boy, just to see if he would look back. When he didn’t, Viktor left, with a sad yellow carnation in his pocket, and a heavy heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so, i started this a few months ago i think? and my skill has improved a LOT since then, so i apologize for any bland areas/mistakes. [youtuber voice] please comment, kudos, bookmark and subscribe. I'm hoping to update every weekend but we'll see how that goes.
> 
> also yes the title is in the first chapter because it was catchy


	2. rose buckets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is in Yuuri's perspective. warning for an anxiety attack, mild violence? idk but Yuuri has an altercation with a customer and I apologize.
> 
> I'll make it up to you though ;)
> 
> summary in the bottom notes if you wanna skip this chapter because of the warnings

Yuuri was fixing up the display when the desk bell at the front of the stand dinged, signalling a new customer. He turned to face them with his greeting smile, “Hello! What can I do for you this evening?” 

“Um, I have a bit of a situation.” The customer pulled a bucket of, what appeared to be few-day-old roses, onto the stand’s front desk. “You may remember me from a few days ago.” Another bucket. “On Tuesday I bought some flowers for my wife’s birthday.” Yuuri’s eyes grew wider as the customer bent down again, and pulled up another bucket. “But now, the mother-in-law is with us for the party.” A fourth bucket. “And she, of course, is allergic.” The customer sighed heavily as he heaved the fifth on to the desk. “So I need to return these.”

Yuuri stood there, dumbfounded, and just stared. Phichit must have been on shift when these flowers were bought, and now he was on break, so Yuuri had no idea what to do.

The man broke the stare to inspect his nails. “So? Are you gonna give me the refund or no?” Yuuri inspected the flowers, they looked decent, but not well enough to be sold again.

“Well sir,” Yuuri started, “You said you bought these on Tuesday?” The man nodded. “Then I can’t refund these, they’re too old, and I wouldn’t be able to sell them agai-”

“Excuse me?” The customer raised his voice, and leaned in. “You do realize that I spent _five hundred dollars_ on these, don’t you?” 

Yuuri gulped. “I understand, but if i gave you your money back, we’d be out five hundred too. They’re too old to be sold again.”

The customer’s skin started to boil in anger, Yuuri froze, knowing that he would start to yell. “What do you mean, ‘they’re too old’? LOOK AT THEM! THEY’RE PERFECTLY DECENT!” 

Desperately trying to hold back his anxiety from rising, Yuuri spoke again, quieter. “Sir, roses start to wilt after three or four days, and you’ve had these for four. They might look decent now, but by tomorrow they probably won’t.” The customer’s face was steaming. One could cut through the thick, heated atmosphere with a knife. “See? If you look closely, some of these are wrinkled.”

“I DON’T CARE ABOUT YOUR STUPID FLOWER EXPIRATION DATE. I NEED MY REFUND!” By now, other customers had their attention on the flower stand. Yuuri started to sweat from the nerves. “And _WHERE_ ARE THESE WRINKLES?” The customer dumped out one of the buckets, and furiously shuffled the flowers around. “I SEE, NO WRINKLES HERE! WHY ARE YOU LYING? JUST GIVE ME MY REFUND!”

“S-sir I,” Yuuri was almost shaking, “I can’t, I can’t refund these. They’re not fresh en-” The customer almost jumped over the desk, before a security guard came running in. Yuuri backed up, near tears as he watched the man struggle and claw in the guard’s arms. He was frozen in place besides his slight tremble, and the customer’s flailing hands were inches from his face. The sound was overwhelming as a crowd started to form. 

Another guard came too pull the man back, and Yuuri was still standing there, un-moving until the gate to get in the stand clicked, and hands were guiding Yuuri to sit in the back. He soon recognized it to be Phichit, back from his break.

 

***

 

In his overstimulated daze, Yuuri sat with his head bowed and his hands held together. Phichit was standing nearby, on guard, ready for when Yuuri would come back and need comfort. The scene drowned out, and after a couple minutes Yuuri felt okay enough to function. He noticed that the curtains of the stand were closed, which Phichit probably did so they could have some space for Yuuri to calm down in. 

When Phichit noticed that Yuuri had his head up and his breathing was back to normal, he spoke. “Hey,” he said in a calm voice, “it’s about two hours til we close for the night. I can handle it alone if you’d like to go home.”

“Um,” Yuuri thought for a moment. He knew he should probably go home and rest, but something in him told him to stay. “I’ll stay until the end of our shift. I can handle it.”

 

***

 

Yuuri can’t handle it. As much as he wants too, he’s on edge and he doesn’t have the energy to look up. He keeps zoning out too. Luckily, there weren’t customers, since it’s near closing time.

There weren’t any customers, that is, until one came in fifteen minutes before Yuuri and Phichit would have to pack up the stand into the truck for the night. They hadn’t rung the bell, so when Yuuri noticed them, he assumed they were just browsing.

The stranger meandered around like that for a while, and Yuuri looked over at them, looking away when the stranger moved. The two of them did make eye contact a few times, and every time they did, the stranger smiled, like he was a friend. 

For a while they tangoed like that, staring at a back and forth rhythm. Yuuri started to notice after a while that they had a familiar look, like maybe they were friends at some point. In a past life maybe, or just a really long time ago. He didn’t pay any mind to it though.

After a while, it was time for Yuuri and Phichit to pack up, but the stranger was still there. “Excuse me,” Phichit said, breaking the silent gaze that Yuuri had with them. “But we have to pack up the stand. Are you going to purchase something? I can ring you up real quick.” The stranger’s smile fell, and they looked over at Yuuri, almost disappointed.

“Yeah uhm,” The stranger picked up a bouquet of yellow carnations. “How much for these?”

“Carnations are seven dollars for a dozen, fifty cents for one.”

Yuuri watched from the back as the customer walked up to the front desk where Phichit was already waiting. They shuffled in their pockets, searching for change as if they hadn’t even planned on buying anything in the first place.

After they were rung up, the stranger smiled at Phichit, and said a quick thank you. They looked at Yuuri with the same pained look, gave a forced smirk, and left.

Yuuri and Phichit stood side by side, and they watched the stranger walk off into the night. “Well that guy seemed a little strange,” said Phichit. He tapped Yuuri’s shoulder and started to walk. “C’mon, let’s pack the truck.” Yuuri watched the stranger leave for a bit longer.

“Yeah,” Yuuri said softly, “let’s.”

 

***

 

Later that night, at home, Yuuri finally got to relax. He drank some tea, took a nice shower, had some dinner and went to bed, following his usual self-care routine. 

Although, this time it was different. While Yuuri put all his effort to bring himself to sleep, something plagued his mind. That something, was surprisingly not reliving the whole rose bucket scene, but what came after.

As Yuuri drifted off to sleep, three thoughts were on his mind.

1\. Who was that stranger that kept staring at him? And why did they look so familiar?  
2\. Why was he so….drawn to them? He wanted nothing more than to keep his eyes on the floor for the rest of the night, but his head was pulled up by some….strange force.  
3\. Why on _earth_ didn’t he say anything to them?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so basically this guy ordered a lot of roses for his wife's birthday, which he's trying to return because the wife's mother is allergic. the thing is he can't return them because they're like, four day old roses and Yuuri wouldn't be able to sell the again. so the customer gets angry and Yuuri has an anxiety attack. and then Viktor comes in and stares at him, as one does. phichit is a good friend.
> 
> also i tried to use my anxiety attacks as an example to write Yuuri's so if this isn't the way yours run/make you feel i'm sorry
> 
> also also i might increase to posting twice a week because i get really excited. thoughts? xoxo


	3. sad gay rant

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> title is self explanatory. viktor has a sad gay rant. chris is here, in the phone again. does he actually exist? is he a robot? who knows

In all honesty, Viktor realized, he should have known better.

After all, they spent one night together. One drunk, loud, crowded night. 

A drunk, loud, crowded night that Pride Boy was probably very embarrassed about. 

If it were Viktor who had performed a drunken dance for an entire club on a near-empty dance floor, flirted and clinged to a stranger for hours, all with disheveled clothes and flushed cheeks, he would be mortified. 

Especially if that stranger came to his place of work - unannounced - and stared at him like an idiot.

He intruded, to say the least. What did he think would happen? Would he just show up after nearly a year of not seeing the man, and expect them to hit it off like old friends?

Yes, sadly enough, he would.

So yes, Viktor should have known better. In his high of excitement, he lost sight of the fact that his plan was reckless, implausible, and downright rude. 

As Viktor drove home, he thought of his actions, his ridiculousness, his stupidity. He could really only blame himself.

And _Chris._

Viktor’s hands tightened on the wheel as his mind ran over everything that had happened in the past hour. 

He had arrived at home, built a blanket nest, pet his dog, and scrolled through his phone in peace.

And then Pride Boy appeared on his television screen.

Not before mentally beating himself, for fixating on trying to see the man’s face for so long, he brought his mind to the phone call.

Well, you could go to the farmer’s market, where he should be right now, since he works there, Chris had said.

Viktor scoffed. “‘Go to the farmer’s market’ he said. ‘It will be fun’ he said. Thanks, Chris! For your lovely advice!” he grumbled to himself as he parked and got out of his car.

Viktor thought he would have learned by now that Chris gives awful advice. There was a time two years prior where Chris had insisted that Viktor wait for his date to make the first move. It seemed the date had the same plan, since they never got past looking at each other. Another time, Chris had suggested a pick up line in Viktor’s date’s native language, which resulted in Viktor being covered in wine and alone at a dinner table.

Needless to say, Christophe Giacometti gives horrid relationship advice, but Viktor continues to use it anyway.

As Viktor walked into his apartment, Makkachin ran up to him, seemingly asking if the meeting went well. He whimpered when Viktor walked past and plopped on the couch with a pout, like he knew the answer. He put his head on Viktor’s lap and looked up at him. Viktor began to run his fingers through the curly fur.

“So I’m guessing you can tell it went badly?” Makkachin flipped over for a belly rub, which made Viktor smile. “Why do I even listen to Chris?” he paused, “Why do I listen to myself, for that matter?” he sighed. “You should’ve been there, Makkachin. At Pride, I mean. We both may have been a bit tipsy, but I’ve never felt more connected to a person than I did that night, you know?” Viktor leaned back further into the couch cushions, his hand still feeling the soft fur. “I just thought he would’ve felt the same. Now I don’t know what to do.”

Makkachin crawled out from under Viktor’s hand, leaving it cold and fur-less. “Hey, wh-” Viktor stuttered out in confusion. Makkachin nosed at Viktor’s pocket until his phone was free. He looked back at Viktor, gesturing the significance of the phone. “What, do you want me to call him? I don’t exactly have his number, Makka, nor do I think that will be very appropriate.” 

Makkachin nosed the phone again, and flipped it over. He looked up at Viktor again, putting his paws on Viktor’s thigh and wagging his tail. Viktor sighed, and gave in. “What do you want me to do with this?” He paused, and looked at his screen.

_**Chrissy Poo:** hey vik how’d it go???_

“You want me to call Chris?” Viktor asked. Makkachin barked in response. “Well, complaining to a human who partially caused this will sure make me feel better,” he said as he unlocked his phone and clicked Chris’ contact.

_“Vik! How’d it go? Did you get his number? Is he still cute? Tell me everything!”_

Viktor sat there, with his phone on his ear, silent. _“Hello? Are you okay?”_

He took a deep breath. “Christophe,” he started, calmly. “I cannot… believe you let me go to the farmer’s market!”

_“Woah, hey, I didn’t force you! I just thought it would make you calm down if you went! And I-”_

Viktor interrupted “Well you told me to go, and I went! He didn’t even want to see me! Even worse, I just stared at him the whole time! I went to his place of work, reminded him of something he’s probably humiliated about, and stared at him like a fool for fifteen minutes straight!”

Chris waited until Viktor stopped. _“Are you done?”_ Viktor said nothing, so Chris continued. _“Okay first, you can’t blame me for you staring. I told you not to stare at him. So this is mostly your fault.”_

Viktor groaned. “I know! I know it’s my fault but it’s also yours so I need you to make me feel less shitty. Can you do that for me, Christophe? Can you?”

Chris sighed. _“Yes. I suppose I should have told you it was risky to go. I can blame myself for that.”_

“Thank you,” Viktor cried, exasperated. “Now you have to listen to me be sad. He was so cute and I th-”

_“Vitya, baby, I would love to listen to another one of your sad gay rants, but I gotta get off the phone and order dinner, okay?”_ He could hear the exhaustion in Chris’ voice.

“Fine, fine. But at least tell me what I should do now. I thought yelling at you would make me feel better but it didn’t,” Viktor admitted.

_“Thank you for that,”_ Chris responded with a sigh, _“I’ll tell you what you can do, even though I’m surprised you’re taking my advice again. Go again, yeah? Apologize for being a creepy starer. Anyway, fill me in on if-slash-when you go, I’m intrigued by this love story now. Au revior!”_

Viktor looked Makkachin in the eyes as he took the phone from his ear. “Next week. Do you think a week is enough time?” Makkachin jumped into Viktor’s chest in response. “Next week it is, then!” Viktor laughed.

 

***

 

Later that night, in his bed, Viktor thought everything over. Everything from the night after Pride, the meeting that day, and what would occur the following week. He even planned out a script of sorts. 

“Next week,” he whispered to himself. “We apologize, and if all goes to plan, he forgives me, we go out to dinner, have a great time, and we get married.” His eyes darted at the thought. “Hopefully.”


	4. staring 2.0

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> y'all sad that yuuri never laughed in yoi? well here u go he laughs a lot in this chapter ! also they apologize for being creepy which is good

The following Monday flew by with ease. Yuuri even held a nice conversation with a middle-aged woman buying sunflowers. He found out that they were for the woman’s wife, named Katia, who was feeling blue lately.

When the stand closes for the night on Tuesday, Yuuri had a feeling the rest of the week was going to go just as well, since no superfluous amounts of roses were purchased. In fact, the largest order was from a young man who planned to dress the front of his mother’s house with a garden of azaleas.

Wednesday brought a trickle of rain to the little town, so the farmer’s market was temporarily closed. This gave Yuuri the chance to take control of his shoppe off the hands of Mila and Yurio, who managed the building as a summer job while Yuuri and Phichit worked at the stand. 

Needless to say, the teens were happy to get the afternoon free. The both of them nearly danced in the rain as they walked to their respective rides; Yurio, with his grandfather, and Mila, with her girlfriend.

On Thursday, the bright sun cleared all the puddles and gloomy clouds. Yuuri’s flowers were certainly happy to be in the sunlight again. In fact, that Friday night Phichit noticed that some of the calla lilies started to sprout more leaves, and larger petals. 

“It’s a sign,” he had said, “Calla lilies represent beauty. I suppose we should have an especially beautiful day tomorrow, don’t you think?”

Yuuri paused as he carried a box toward the truck to look at the flowers, and then at his friend. “I suppose you’re right.” He grunted as he set the box inside. He returned clapping the dust off his hands. “I guess we shall wait and see.” 

With that, Phichit smiled, and carried the box of calla lilies onto the truck.

 

***

 

On Saturday, Phichit’s prophecy prevailed to be true.

An early morning drizzle left a faint rainbow in the sky. Occasionally, a cloud would cover the sun, giving the street a peaceful glow that allowed everyone’s eyes to rest. Even the visiting bees seemed to be at ease, since now it was already noon and there were no shouts of pain from stings.

After Yuuri serves another customer, he takes a deep inhale, appreciating the fruity scents from the other stands. He looks down the street, and notices the serenity of it all. The weather is simply perfect, warm and balmy like a light hug, but not too much, so it isn’t sweltering. “You were right, Phichit,” said Yuuri, turning around to face his colleague. “It is a beautiful day today.”

Phichit looked blankly for a moment, and then smiled. “T’was not I who prophesied the fate of today, but rather the lilies, who, as plants, know all,” he replied in his best pretentious-hipster voice. The two laughed at Phichit’s mocking, until Yuuri snorted, which sent them into hysterics.

Their laughter converted the tranquil atmosphere around them into a burst of energy around their stand. After the excitement eventually fizzled down into heavy sighs, Phichit squinted, looking into the distance behind Yuuri’s head. “Hey, I think that’s the weird guy from last week, the pretty one with the hair” Yuuri jerked his head around to see a silver-haired man far down the opposite side of the street, where honey was being sold.

He turned back faster than he had the other way. “Phichit! What do I do? What if he comes over here? I was so creepy when he came by last week, you saw right?” He said, with a panicky ring in his voice. Yuuri leaned into his hands as he continued to mumble. He felt a hand on his shoulder.

“Yuuri,” brought back to reality by Phichit’s voice, Yuuri tilted his head up to look him in the eyes. “It’ll be fine. He’s probably not even coming over here. And if he does, you can apologize, yeah? Explain why you stared at him like a freak.”

Yuuri sighed and leaned back in his chair. “I suppose you’re right. It probably isn’t a big deal.”

Phichit chuckled. “You see? Nothing bad can happen, even if he comes over. Just try not to make a fool of yourself if he does.” He leaned in, resting his hand on Yuuri’s knee, he whispered, “You tend to lose words when you’re flustered.” 

“Hey!” Yuuri scoffed as Phichit leaned back again, laughing. He waited for Phichit to stop before he spoke again. “I should’ve never told you I thought he was pretty.”

Phichit giggled again “Well you did, and I love using it against you more than anything else in the world.” Yuuri smiled wide, and opened his mouth to respond when-

_Ding._

The two froze, looked at the customer standing at the front desk. They fake coughed to cover the tension as Phichit nearly shoved Yuuri toward the man there. 

Dumbstruck, Yuuri paused for a moment, lost in a shared gaze that equaled the ones from the week before, only now closer up. Phichit coughed again from the back. “Erm, right,” Yuuri said, flustered, just as Phichit predicted. “W-what can I do for you this fine afternoon?” He put on his best service-smile, which was, given the circumstances, incredibly awkward. The customer stared right back, forming a smirk that matched Yuuri’s.

Yuuri tried to look away, but every time he darted his eyes, they fell right back on the man before him. After a moment, he decided that he had to speak up first. 

“I’m really sorry,” they both said, at the same time.

Surprised, they both froze. Yuuri continued. “I am so sorry I stared at you last week. I um- I almost got attacked by a customer that evening and- well- I was pretty shaken up and uh-”

The customer interrupted “You don’t have to apologize, it isn’t your fault. I shouldn’t have stared either.” He trailed off, unsure of what to say next. They both paused, stuck in time for a moment before the customer pulled his hand up above the table for a shake. “Uhm, My name is Viktor. Or you can call me Vitya, if you want. It’s more of a casual name, like, for friends. But I guess since we’re not exactly friends I-”

Yuuri shook his hand. “My name is Yuuri.” a pause, as he pulled his hand back. “Which, you probably already knew, from my button. It’s uhm, nice to see you again, Vitya.”

Viktor beamed, pleased with the name. “It’s nice to see you again too!” The air was now much more relaxed, as much as it was before, with the resolved apologies. Their gaze was less rickety, and now looking into Viktor’s eyes was smooth and warm.

None of the noticed the customer standing behind Viktor, even Phichit, who was probably watching the exchange, and got caught up in the warmth. “Hello? Did I happen to freeze time on the way here?” 

The three men who were already there quickly burst out apologies as Phichit ran up to the front of the stand to serve them. Yuuri zoned it out.

“Erm, do you have any yellow roses? I feel like they’d brighten up my apartment a little,” Viktor asked, perking up at the last sentence.

Yuuri got lost in Viktor’s eyes- which were, by the way, vividly azure in the daylight- for a moment before he responded. “Oh, um. Yes! Yes, of course we have those.” He turned to the left, and stopped, confused. Then he turned around, and found the flowers. He called Viktor from where he was “Would you like a dozen? They’re twenty dollars.”

When he heard Viktor call back a “yes”, Yuuri started to assemble a bouquet, complete with a pink ribbon. When Yuuri returned to the front desk, Viktor already had his cash out. He handed him the roses, and took the twentyfive dollars he was given to the cash register. 

“Change is $3.40,” said Yuuri, turning his fist to plop the money in Viktor’s hand. He looked up when there wasn’t a hand underneath his.

“Keep the change,” Viktor said, with a friendly smirk, very much unlike than the one before. “Have a nice afternoon!” He smiled and waved, then walked away, leaving Yuuri in almost a trance.

Yuuri watched Viktor leaving so intently, that he hardly noticed Phichit’s customer leave, and his friend standing next to him. “Dude, you are so awestruck right now. He gave you three dollars. Why are you like this?” Yuuri blinked, and turned to face him.

“I- I don’t know. I feel like, I’m supposed to be.”

“That’s weird.”

“Maybe so, but a good weird.”

 

***

 

A really good weird.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this is late guys !! i saw Wicked yesterday so I couldn't post but it is Here  
> also yes mila's girlfriend is sara. i'll figure out where to put her eventually but she will be present at some point maybe


	5. dogs & sweetness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this ought to be one of the fluffiest things ever. viktor and makkachin are bets friends and he's a sweetheart. yuuri is also a sweetheart. good things.

For the next week, Viktor pondered over what he should say, and do, when he saw Pride Boy again. If he should say or do anything at all, as making him uncomfortable at work _again_ would likely make Viktor want to sink into the dimension between his couch cushions and never return. Which would be nice to do in general, to get away from the soap-biters at work, and the overwhelming bills that his paycheck _just_ covers. But who would feed Makkachin? 

Anyway, what Viktor needs is a plan. The only thing that went wrong the first time was that Viktor was not _A Pan With A Plan_ like the pin on his lanyard says he is. 

But this time, he will live up to the title, and be prepared with a plan. Thank goodness.

Unfortunately, coming up with a plan is harder than it seems. Especially when this plan could alter the fate of Viktor’s future. Or more importantly, Pride Boy’s comfort, which is at top priority when this plan is constructed.

So, Viktor rewrites his ideal script over, and over again. On Wednesday he even tried to practice it on a customer, which wasn’t very effective, to say the least.

_“Excuse me, sir? Do you guys still sell the Yog Log?” a customer asked as Viktor reassembled a display. The 'sir' stung him for a moment, but he let it slide off._

_“Oh, um, no. That was a product for the holiday season. So sorry, I can help you find a similar product, if you’d like.”_

_“Darn, I guess that’s alright. And no thanks, I think I’ll just browse.”_

_Since the script was on his mind, Viktor decided to give it a try, to maybe get an outsider’s perspective on tone. “No problem. I’m Viktor Nikiforov, or you can call me Vitya,” he said with a smile, putting his hand out for a shake. The customer was just about to turn away, before Viktor introduced himself, so they shifted back._

_“Er, alright. I’m uh, Camille. Or Cami, but it’s really only my friends who call me that so…” Awkwardness, just as Viktor feared._

_“Ah, um,” Viktor paused, his chipper smile long gone. “Have a nice day then.”_

_“...You too,” replied the customer, slowly turning away._

So maybe going straight for the full name wouldn’t be the best way to go. Or practicing on strangers.

After calling Chris with ideas one too many times, he had to resort to running lines with Makkachin. This was somewhat more fulfilling, since Makkachin would react when Viktor said something that wasn’t painfully embarrassing.

As Viktor’s week went on, the script became more and more refined as it ran through his head. In his bed on Friday night, Viktor went over it with Makkachin one more time. “So, tomorrow’s the day.” A quiet ‘arf’ in response. “Shall we go over the plan again?” A nuzzle in the hand.

“I go to the stand tomorrow, during my lunch break. But first, I stop and one of the other stands to make it look like I’m not stalking him.” Makkachin began to react to each step with a little bark, or a change in stance. “I go to his stand; I order yellow roses, to brighten up the place. Then, I ever-so suavely apologize. I say ‘I am so sorry for staring at you last week, it’s just that you were too beautiful to resist.’ He falls in love with my charm. I give him the smolder. ‘Hi, I’m Viktor, you may call me Vitya, if you wish.’ I say, I hope he wishes. He asks me to dinner, and gives me his number. Then I come home and dance. Sound good, Makka?” 

Makkachin jumps around the bed, making Viktor laugh. “If all goes well, I’ll bake you that doggy cake recipe I’ve been looking at, for being such a good help.” After settling down, he licks Viktor’s face, as if to say ‘thank you’, and curls up under his arm.

 

***

 

Eight o’clock the next morning, Viktor woke up to the usual combination of his alarm and dog-licks and he felt - surprisingly - well rested and ready to go. Most days it would take him at least two hits of the snooze button before he’d be fully awake, but it must have been the excitement of the day that gave him a boost.

After spending a moment in the frenzy of licks, Viktor sat up, turned off the alarm, and held Makkachin by the face, looking into the dog’s eyes as he panted with what appeared to be a smile. “Are you ready for our day, Makka?” He received a bark and a tail wag in response. Viktor hummed happily, and kissed his head. “I’m pretty excited too.” 

Viktor’s routine has always been fairly steady. First, he wakes up with kisses and beeps, which are followed by _“are you ready for our day, Makka?”_ ; a question that was originally contrived to pump Viktor up for important events, but evolved into a part of their daily routine. Then, Viktor would get make the bed and then shower as Makkachin played with whichever toy was lying around. As he dressed, Viktor would occasionally hold up two items and ask Makkachin for an opinion. To avoid a terrible clash that a color-blind animal could cause, the two items would always match whatever Viktor had already picked out. 

After they were both ready, they would go to the kitchen, where Viktor would make cereal and a bagel for himself, and prepare a bowl of kibble for Makkachin. On some days, when Viktor is extra tired from a rough day prior, these would switch for a good minute. Today was not one of those days, quite the opposite. The two would eat in the living room, Viktor on the couch with a TV tray and Makkachin nearby on the floor with a mat, watching the news until they both finish. 

Finally, they would go out for a walk before Viktor left for work, going through the same route, and waving to the same people from the apartment and back. Having a routine this meticulous was never boring, as it may seem. In fact, it was often the highlight of Viktor’s day. Makkachin has been, tragically, growing old. He was pushing thirteen around now and, being Viktor’s best friend, would desire extra care. Extra care that Viktor was more than happy to give. With the hectic life of a retail store manager, a steady morning routine with one’s best friend - second only to Christophe, on a good day - is all one could ask for. So, every moment with Makkachin is one happily spent.

After returning to the apartment, right before Viktor should have left, he gets on one knee to say goodbye. “I’m gonna be a bit late for our lunch walk today, because I’m going to the farmer’s market like we talked about. It will be cut short, but remember, if all goes well, you get a doggy cake,” Viktor chuckled. Makkachin gently licked Viktor’s hand before walking up for a hug. “Promise you’ll be good? And not pee on anything?” Viktor asked, releasing the hug. An enthusiastic bark from Makkachin prompted Viktor to ruffle his fur. “My good boy,” Viktor waved, walking out the door, ready to start his day of work.

 

***

 

Viktor arrives to the mall at ten thirty, a half hour before the mall opens and just around when his employees clock in. He’s greeted by one of his assistant managers, Georgi, and Leo, a cashier. Other employees enter the store within the next couple minutes to fix up displays and find their places. By the time the mall opens, the playlist is on the speakers, courtesy of Leo and Otabek, who assemble a new one with the help of spotify every week, the displays are organized and colorful, and employees are milling about their respective corners. 

The first couple hours are, as always, quite slow compared to the afternoon rush. A few customers enter here and there. A bath bomb explodes on the floor upon being dropped at around 11:30, but no one has bitten any soap before noon. Thank goodness. But, at noon starts the afternoon rush. On Saturdays most human beings wake up late in the morning, and often go shopping for their day’s activities. This leads to swarms of people being in the mall at this time, and thus, increases the probability of soap-biters. 

Luckily for Viktor, he is the manager, so he gets to decide his lunch break while whichever assistant is present, takes over. It just so happens that at two o’clock every workday, at the height of afternoon rush, Viktor gets to leave, go home, and walk his dog for an hour in peace before returning to the remains of the rush at three.

But, on that fateful Saturday, Viktor had an agenda. Go to the farmer’s market, and apologize to the gorgeous man he stared at for twenty minutes the week before. It’s a perfect plan, Viktor thinks as he leaves, just as a gaggle of five teenagers make their way into the store. It’s likely that, as another retail worker, Pride Boy will be suffering a rush as well. This gives Viktor an opportunity to swoop in, apologize quickly, and hopefully leave a nice presence behind. That reminds him, he should wear some perfume. A florist has to like flowers, right? No. he’s surrounded by flowers all day, Viktor needs to stand out. Vanilla, maybe. He grabs a bottle of _Vanillary_ as he exits the store. 

 

***

 

When Viktor arrived to Main Street, where the farmer’s market is held in his little town, he noticed right away that it was not as packed as he thought it’d be. Not very packed at all, actually. A healthy amount of customers were out and about the stands, but there were no significantly long lines, nor were there any loud groups, or people biting things they shouldn’t be. It was quite….calm. And even though this atmosphere is completely different from what Viktor had predicted, he felt calm as well. He supposed that maybe the people who go to farmer’s markets have a vastly different schedule than those who spend their Saturdays at malls. 

Viktor sat in his car a moment, people watching, before he remembered that his dog was home alone, waiting for his return. Upon the realization, he gets out, and looks for a stand that interests him, besides the obvious one to carry out the first step of the plan.

**Step 1: Go to one of the other stands to make it look like he’s not a stalker.**

Which he isn’t, but he wants to make that clear. One of the nearby stands is selling honey related products. Who doesn’t need a little honey? “Good afternoon, sugar. Care for a sample?” a woman asks, who appears to be in her fifties.

On a tray, there are what appear to be many flavors of honey, which Viktor previously did not know existed. “Sure!” he said, staring at the tray in delight, trying to decide. “Hmm, the blueberry seems interesting. Maybe a little of that would be nice.”

“Excellent choice, sugar!” the woman exclaimed. She takes the blueberry bottle from the tray and squirts a little onto a small wooden sample spoon before handing it over. “Tell me what you think!”

Without hesitating, Viktor tasted the honey, and it’s one of the sweetest things he’s had in awhile. “Wow! That’s so good!” he squealed, eyes wide. 

The woman laughed. “I knew you’d like it! You do look like you got one hell of a sweet tooth.”

“Well you guessed right,” Viktor chuckled. “I never knew you could make flavored honey before, why isn’t it more popular?”

“You know, I’ve always asked myself the same. In my family, recipes are passed down with a saying: there’s nothing wrong with a little extra sweetness. When I was in college I added honey to my fruit tea, and little did I know I would grow up to be a beekeeper who would do the opposite for a living. I suppose people are afraid of a bit too much good.”

“That’s a really wonderful story, and an excellent phrase if I’m being honest. Might as well be your business’ slogan,” Viktor chuckled. “Say, how much are you selling this stuff for?”

“ _Jane’s Sweet Honey_ is six dollars a bottle, for the gourmet flavors that is.”

“Ah, here you go!” Viktor chirped, pulling out a ten dollar bill.

Jane handed him a bottle from underneath the counter, and gave him his change. “Have a good rest of your day, sweetheart!” she sang.

“You too, miss Jane!”

**Step Two: Go to his stand, ask for yellow roses, and suavely apologize. Maybe deliver a pick-up line.**

The first part of this step goes well enough as it can. Viktor walked down the street and to the other side, bag in hand, the sign that read _Katsuki Florals_ in sights. As he strolled down, he saw Pride Boy talking with Phichit, the same worker from before. He couldn’t see Pride Boy’s face, as he was facing the other way, but Phichit appeared to be laughing, and Viktor could only imagine what Pride Boy would look like, or sound like, would it be that he was laughing along.

As it turns out, Viktor got to experience the sound of that laughter. While approaching the stand, Viktor heard Pride Boy bellow out a laugh so sweet, it rang in his ears. He almost felt the world become brighter, despite being already beautiful today. 

Viktor stood at the stand, listening to the sound of their voices as they blended with the sounds of the street. It only took a moment for him to realize that he was standing there, staring, again. He panicked and rang the service bell, startling the two workers. The three of them stared in silence, with scared looks on their faces, until Phichit started coughing to break the tension, which Pride Boy joined in on. As the whole scene stumbled out, Pride Boy being practically pushed to the front, Viktor couldn’t help but find it funny, even though he felt immensely guilty, after causing so much awkwardness.

Sadly enough, this awkwardness continued as Pride Boy - whose name tag read _Yuuri_ \- stared into Viktor’s eyes with a slightly nervous grin. On the bright side, Viktor could finally put a name to the face he ever so adored. ‘Pride Boy’ was starting to sound ridiculous anyway. “Erm, right,” Yuuri started to say, “W-what can I do for you this fine afternoon?”

Although he was nearly dying from embarrassment, Viktor smirked back, unable to form words. His mind chanted _just say something!_ as Yuuri’s eyes darted back and forth, nervous and - as Viktor so desperately tried to avoid - uncomfortable. In a loss for what to do next, he just blurted it out. 

“I’m really sorry,” he cried. He stopped when he noticed that Yuuri said the same thing at the same time. Dumbstruck, he let Yuuri continue.

“I am so sorry I stared at you last week. I um- I almost got attacked by a customer that evening and- well- I was pretty shaken up and uh-” Yuuri sputtered out. Viktor really couldn’t listen to him blame himself for what was his fault, so he interrupted.

“You don’t have to apologize, it isn’t your fault. I shouldn’t have stared either.” He trailed off, not quite certain on how to clear the air with words. They stood there in silence before he continued, pulling his hand up, so Yuuri could shake it. “Uhm, My name is Viktor. Or you can call me Vitya, if you want. It’s more of a casual name, like, for friends. But I guess since we’re not exactly friends I-”

Why would Viktor suggest to be called such a friendly title, especially when the aura is so awkward and not at all friendly? He doesn’t know, maybe it was part of the plan but all of that went out the window the moment he approached the stand. Every part of Viktor was sweating, or at least it seemed like it, which is why he was surprised, and absolutely relieved when Yuuri took his hand and responded, with just as much awkward timidness. “My name is Yuuri. Which, you probably already knew, from my button. It’s uhm, nice to see you again, Vitya.”

Viktor beamed at the name, and Yuuri smiled right back.

 

***

 

Viktor went to his apartment with flowers and honey in hand. Upon entering, Makkachin heard him enter, and looked up from where he was lying on the couch, wide-eyed, doggy-eyebrows up, waiting for an answer to the question that hung in the air. 

After setting the bag on the table, Viktor greeted the dog with as neutral of a face as he could muster. “Makka,” he started, “I see a doggy cake in your future!” Makkachin jumped into Viktor’s arms as he smiled wide, delivering the news. 

“C’mon, let’s go get our lunch.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh look it's the summary !!!  
> this was one of my favorite chapters to write, despite it taking so long.  
> also sorry it's late. AP exams are in a month and i've been studying, so i apologize in advance as more chapters might come late xoxo
> 
> also yes. what viktor feels there is mild dysphoria. in this story he is a genderqueer man :*


	6. fairies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> yuuri is a thinker and more of phichit's character is revealed. more bro content. i don't know how businesses are run but i try to explain anyway. good times.

“So,” Phichit started as he began packing up a box of flowers to load on the truck. “You’ve been pretty quiet since this afternoon. Care to tell me why?”

Yuuri took a breath in through his nose, and let it out in a sigh. “You know damn well that you already know.”

“That’s true. But I wanna hear you say it. And explain it, because what happened there was very weird.”

Yuuri paused, hands mid- taking off his rubber gloves, and turned to face Phichit, who returned the gesture with a snarky grin. “Ugh. Fine! He’s just… nice, okay? Is it wrong for me to like nice people?” He threw off the rest of his gloves with a smack as he spoke, then continued packing. 

“Maybe not wrong,” Phichit said, “But you did appear to fall in love with him in less than what, fifteen minutes total? I’m happy for you, Yuuri. I really am thrilled, but fifteen minutes?”

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m just as confused. But you saw the way he looked at me! How could I not? Besides, I have the strongest feeling that I’ve seen him before.” He bent down and picked up a box. “I just...don’t know where.”

“So like I said, fifteen minutes of knowing him?” Phichit started, walking into the truck. “Actually,” he said, walking out and dusting his hands, “Isn’t it more like three minutes? Since all you guys did is stare at each other for most of it?”

“Shut up,” Yuuri retorted, finally placing the box he’d been holding the whole time in the truck. “Besides, don’t they say that the eyes are the window to the soul? So don’t I know him better than you’ve known everyone you’ve met online?”

Phichit scoffed. “Okay, I see where you’re coming from, but Loren and I had a real connection! We talked for hours every day! You can’t get closer than that.”

“I suppose you’re right. How are they doing, by the way?”

“They deleted a few months ago, so I don’t know,” Phichit said, nonchalantly, which made Yuuri snicker. “What? They said it would only be for a while until drama died down! They’ll come back and we’ll be just the same.” By the time he was done defending himself, Yuuri was bursting with laughter. “What?!” Phichit whined, eventually joining in on making fun of himself.

“Okay but seriously, he gave you a _three dollar_ tip, and you were over the moon. What the fuck,” Phichit questioned with a calmer tone, as the two of them continued to load the truck. 

“Well,” Yuuri grunted as he lifted a box, “It’s kinda like, these times when he’s been around, um- oh god, how do I put this. Uhm…” he paused, at a loss for words, because how could he describe the feeling? He actually knew how to describe it, but it was far, far too sappy to be said out loud. How Viktor’s presence made him feel had been running in his mind since the night he first saw him, but putting it out there would likely be a mistake. Yuuri continued to work as he thought it through for a moment, Phichit watching as he moved. It took a minute, but Yuuri finally broke. “The flowers they- they looked brighter. They looked prettier when he was here and I got a sort of, _tingly _vibe. I don’t really know. It felt kinda magical, to say the least,” he paused, looking away to avoid eye contact after his confession. “And the tip was three dollars and forty cents.”__

__Phichit stood there, staring back as Yuuri awaited his reaction. His face started to move, very slowly, into a smile. “Awwwwww! Yuuri!” Phichit cried out, running toward Yuuri to give him a hug, which he accepted, but didn’t return. “That is so cute! You had a love at first sight moment! Like in a fairytale!” He continued to babble on for a moment about “prince charming” and “flower fairies” as he nuzzled in Yuuri’s chest._ _

__Yuuri stood, wrapped in Phichit’s arms before tapping him on the back. “Phichit, honey, we need to load the truck. You know, so we can go home.”_ _

__“Right, right sorry,” Phichit said as he let go. “This is just, a dream come true! I mean come on, how many times have you dreamed about a pretty guy coming here and sweeping you off your feet?” They both started to walk off, moving as they talked._ _

__“I don’t know, not very many if I’m being honest.”_ _

__“Well I have, and I can’t believe it’s gonna be real! For you, at least. I’m so excited for you, Yuuri!”_ _

__“Hey hey, calm down. Like you said, we haven’t really talked or anything.”_ _

__“I know what I said earlier, but I didn’t know that it was magic! And I mean, you are on friendly terms with _Vitya_ ,” he argued, singing the name with a lilt and flutter of the eyes, “so that’s a huge step.”_ _

__“Do you really think it was magic that did this?”_ _

__“Well I mean, you did say that he looked really familiar, so maybe you were lovers in a past life or something. And you also said that the flowers looked more vibrant when he was around, which is impossible, since _Katsuki Florals_ already has the most beautiful flowers in the world.”_ _

__After loading the last box, all that was left was the tent, which they both had to fold up together. Yuuri beamed shyly at the praise. “Oh stop, you know we’re only local.”_ _

__Phichit pushed the folded up tent in the truck as Yuuri started the engine. After getting in, he replied. “I do, but maybe it’s just my bias, since I’ve never even bothered to look at other companies. You can’t think another florist has better flowers if you don’t look at them.”_ _

__Yuuri replied, hands on the wheel, “You’ve seriously never looked at another catalogue? Phichit, how would we know what our competition is if we don’t look at other’s work?”_ _

__“Why would I if I already know that we’re the best? Other companies don’t have your mom’s secret.”_ _

__“Phichit, you do know the stuff she gives us is just regular plant food, right? All companies use it.”_ _

__“I don’t know, Yuuri. I don’t think regular plant food sparkles like that,” he argued._ _

__“That’s probably the sugar you’re seeing.”_ _

__“Well whatever it is, I’m still gonna think it’s fairy dust because that’s more fun. Why won’t you let me have fun, Yuuri?”_ _

__Yuuri let out a laugh that was almost a scoff. “I let you have fun! Remember a couple minutes ago, when I humored you about the flower fairies and Prince Charming?”_ _

__“Okay I guess you’re right, and you did go cryptid hunting with me when we were teenagers, so I’ll let it slide.”_ _

__“And I never said you were wrong about the flower fairies, did I? You might be a little off on the Prince Charming part, but you have solid evidence on the fairies.”_ _

__“Oh please,” Phichit retorted, “Who else besides a Prince Charming could ever sweep you off your feet in a matter of minutes?”_ _

__“Hey!” Yuuri started, finally pulling into the driveway of the shop, and parking. “I never said I was swept off my feet, I said he’s pretty and makes the flowers look pretty. That’s all,” he rebutted._ _

__After they both got out of the van, and began walking to their separate cars, Phichit responded. “Maybe so, but my stance on the flower fairies trying to put you two together still stands.”_ _

__“You only joined my family business for the fairies, didn’t you?” he called out as Phichit neared his car._ _

__“That’s for me to know and for you to judge me for!” he shouted, opening the door._ _

__Yuuri laughed at his magic-loving friend. “I’m gonna check and make sure the kids didn’t ruin the shop. See you Monday?”_ _

__“Yeah man,” Phichit called from the window as he started the engine. “Be sure to let me know if Lover Boy magically comes to your apartment to save you from a poisoned apple!” he yelled, driving away before Yuuri could respond, leaving him to shake his head and laugh with his hand on the knob of the shop entrance._ _

__***_ _

__Now that he was alone, what Yuuri needed now was time to think. Phichit had been right about a lot of things._ _

___1\. Yuuri had seen Viktor twice, and was already in total awe, which was a type of crush he’d only known as a schoolboy._  
2\. It would be very difficult for the flowers to look more vibrant. At midday, a couple days after rain, flowers tend to reach peak beauty. For Viktor’s aura to have that power was sort of magical. Maybe.  
3\. What is truly in _Katsuki Florals_ plant food could very much be a mystery like his mother claims, and now that Yuuri looks back, it is a little glittery. But that isn’t important. 

__

__What is important is why the fuck Viktor makes Yuuri think so much. That is when he isn’t around, all Yuuri thinks when he is around is _“pretty boy”_ repeatedly, unless he represses it to form actual words. Which is really funny, because it’s the same voice that always ran through his head when he had crushes as a teenager. Yuuri forgets which flower represents youth, but there must be an abundance of it this season._ _

__Yuuri stood in the middle of the store, and it looked pristine as always. It’s surprising, given that the store is managed by teenagers during the day, besides the times his parents come in to help out if there’s a big order, like for a wedding. But they’re good kids, and they know what they’re doing, if you pay them well._ _

__The clipboard on the counter read that ten orders were made and seven of them were fulfilled. The other three are for a Sunday event and will be delivered the next day. Business is slower this time of year, when Katsuki Florals is split in two for the farmer’s market. It slows, but right before a big boom. The local LGBT+ Pride parade buys thousands worth of flowers every year. It’s the height of Yuuri’s family business, and his joy. Every June, the stand and the shop can be found with a rainbow flag billowing in the breeze. Katsuki Florals is famous for its colorful bouquets that burst with popularity during this time. In fact, the farmer’s market as a whole becomes more busy during June, since more young people come around._ _

__How lucky it is that it comes in only a week and a half? Perhaps, Viktor could come around more, too. Maybe their status could bump from friends to better friends, or if possible, a dating status. Perhaps Yuuri could actually have a date to Pride this year, instead of going alone, and feeling sad at the bar all night._ _

__Yuuri looked at his phone for the time. 9:05, it reads. If he stayed any longer, he realized, he might fall asleep there, so he left the store and got in his car._ _

__

__***_ _

__

__Running a business and working there full time means late dinners, especially if you stay in your shop to think for forty-five minutes. Too tired to cook, Yuuri boiled up an instant ramen in the microwave, watering the houseplants while he waited._ _

__After sitting down with his food, Yuuri unlocked his phone to check his notifications, to see what he missed. A message from facebook read 1 New Friend Request!_ _

__He opened the app, and right on the top there’s a new friend request from _Viktor Nikiforov.__ _

__Yuuri stared at it for a moment, a smile on his face, and clicked _accept_ as he took another bite._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> you never notice how much you use italics until you post to ao3 and have to put in the coding  
> sorry this is late. exams and stuff yadda yadda.

**Author's Note:**

> big love to my beta scentedziall !! thank you for being on this little journey with me <3
> 
> im [starrylou](https://starrylou.tumblr.com) and [keithsmiles](https://keithsmiles.tumblr.com) on tumblr  
> [starrylouies](https://twitter.com/starrylouies) on twitter  
> i figured out how to make those links i think
> 
> please support me with kudos/bookmarks/recs/comments my family is dying


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